Arsenal host Brighton and Hove Albion this Saturday in what is a must-win match for the Gunners if they are to keep their top-four hopes alive in the Premier League.
After Monday’s crushing 3-0 loss against Crystal Palace, Mikel Arteta’s side needs a response if they are to keep up the pace with Tottenham, who are starting to find their rhythm under Antonio Conte.
Whilst a home fixture against Brighton might, on paper at least, seem like an easy win for Arsenal, the north London side have already had their UEFA Champions League dreams crushed by the Seagulls in recent memory.
The penultimate game of the 2018/19 season saw Arsenal take on Brighton, and here is how the Gunners managed to yet again bottle the chance to finish in the top-four despite the odds being in their favour.
The starting line-ups
Arsenal sure have come a long way from the Unai Emery side that made it to the UEFA Europa League final, and the XI to face Brighton that day is quite the throwback for Gooners.
Stephan Lichtsteiner and Nacho Monreal started in defence whilst Henrikh Mkhitaryan started in the no. 10 position with Mesut Ozil in central midfield and Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the line in an interesting 4-3-1-2 formation.
For Brighton, Chris Hughton’s side had future Arsenal player Mat Ryan starting between the sticks, whilst club legend Bruno got the nod at right-back in what would be the Spaniard’s penultimate game of his footballing career, with Glenn Murray also leading the line for the south coast side.
Brighton shock Arsenal at the Emirates
On a day that was billed as Aaron Ramsey’s farewell from Arsenal, all signs pointed to the Gunners coming away with three points. And Aubameyang got the hosts off to a perfect start, slotting home a ninth-minute penalty to put Emery’s side ahead as the Gabon star bagged his then 20th goal of the Premier League season.
With Arsenal continuing to pile on the pressure and Aubameyang having a golden chance denied by Ryan later on in the opening half, the game looked to be going only one way, yet fate has a funny way of medalling with the status quo in football, and it did just that in the second half.
After creeping their way back into the game, Granit Xhaka, because of course it was, dragged Solly March inside the penalty area, allowing the penalty king Murray to bring Brighton back on level terms.
With Arsenal back on level terms and the visitors shutting up shop, there was only ever going to be one outcome from here as the referee called time on a 1-1 draw at the Emirates, leading to a chorus of boos ringing around the stadium.
The aftermath for the Gunners
To say the consequences of this match were seismic would be an understatement. With Chelsea winning 3-0 against Watford on the same day, Arsenal’s draw against Brighton all but quashed their dreams of top-four.
To make matters worse, with Tottenham losing that same weekend to AFC Bournemouth and then going on to draw against Everton the following week, a win against Brighton would have put Arsenal fourth come the end of the season had they repeated their 3-1 win against Burnley at Turf Moor.
Indeed, with Arsenal going on to lose the Europa League final to Chelsea later that month, the draw against Brighton could be pinned as a key reason why the Gunners lost out on Champions League football. And this weekend, Arteta will be hoping not to repeat history.
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